Strange Days 2: Outlanders
by Love In Vein
Summary: Takes place six months after the events of Strange Days. All is going well until Lacey returns, bringing with her some adults and all sorts of new problems. How will Micah deal with this? Will everyone survive intact?**Now Complete!**
1. Chapter One: They're Coming

Title: Strange Days 2: Outlanders   
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: Takes place six months after the events of Strange Days. All is going well until Lacey returns, bringing with her some adults and all sorts of new problems. How will Micah deal with this? Will everyone survive intact?  
Disclaimer: Stephen King owns the original story; Micah, Danny, etc. and COTC 2 are owned by Paramount; Delilah, Zephaniah, Mina, and Keren are owned by me, and Rachael is based on real-life COTC superfan Rachael.  
  
  
Part 1  
  
'They're coming...they're coming...Micah, they're coming...'  
  
Micah's eyes shot open and he ran his fingers through his thick, black hair. Yet another nightmare. The same one he'd been having for about two weeks. It was total darkness; all that was clear was the voice. A young voice, maybe belonging to one of the children. He just couldn't figure it out. Delilah hadn't mentioned any message from He Who Walks Behind the Rows, so maybe the dream meant nothing. Perhaps he should talk to her anyway. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and knew that she was already awake. Well, it was rather late. For him, anyway. Yesterday Danny had told him one of the houses needed an argument settled so he would have to be on time for that.   
  
He got out of bed and quickly changed into his black pants and shirt and made his way downstairs to the den where Delilah was sitting and talking with Rachael. "Micah, nice to see you up today!" she exclaimed jokingly.  
  
"I've been having trouble sleeping lately," he confessed to her after placing a brief kiss on her lips.  
  
"Don't you two ever stop?" Rachael teased.  
  
"Never," Delilah answered with a smile and then frowned at Micah. "Are you all right?"  
  
"It's just this dream I have been having. It's...disturbing."  
  
"Well, guys, I think I'll take that as my cue to leave. I'm sure Jed could use my help with...something," Rachael said and left in a hurry.  
  
Micah took Rachael's place on the couch and leaned back and closed his eyes as if trying to see the dream again. "There's only darkness and a voice. The voice only says one thing: they're coming. Over and over. He has not told me anything relating to this. Has He spoken to you?"   
  
"Father has told me one thing, and that is to be prepared. For what, I don't know. It has to be something big, and perhaps it relates to this dream that you are having," she replied.  
  
"Perhaps," Micah echoed. "But who are 'they'? Outlanders, do you think? It sounded ominous, but there have been no sightings of anyone around here, much less adults. All of our reports from the Missionaries have told of no adults anywhere."  
  
"In and around Nebraska. But, Micah, somewhere there could be some," Delilah pointed out gently.  
  
"If there were, why would they come here? We would not be a blip on their radar."  
  
-------------------  
  
Zephaniah was bored. He didn't understand why Micah even bothered to have a lookout anymore; it wasn't like any Outlanders would be coming this way. What it probably was, was that he was still being punished for what happened six months ago, even though he hadn't even done anything. Thankfully, he would be leaving in three months.  
  
Suddenly he saw a speck in the distance and it was moving towards him. As it grew closer he saw that the speck was actually a child, maybe nine or ten. She was wearing a tattered dress and her face was dirty and tear-streaked. "Hey, little girl!" Zephaniah shouted as he jumped down from the platform.  
  
"Please, help me! He said I could find help here!" the girl yelled back.  
  
When she got to him he took her hand and together they began to run towards Micah's house, because Zephaniah had a feeling that this was serious.  
  
-----------------------  
  
At the house Zephaniah knocked impatiently on the door and noticed that the girl was shaking and seemed nervous. "What's wrong?" he asked her.  
  
"This is where the Leader lives? Are you allowed to come here like this?"   
  
"Sure. If there is a problem, Micah could help," he answered confidently.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Micah and Delilah were sitting on the couch when they heard what seemed to be a frantic knock on the door. "I'll answer it," Delilah said.  
  
"Zephaniah, what's going on?" she asked when she opened the door. She eyed the scared-looking little girl. "Who's this?"  
  
"She came to us for help, Delilah. I don't know why 'cause I figured I should take her to you guys right away," Zephaniah replied with a little defensiveness.  
  
"Okay, you did the right thing. Why don't you come inside?" Delilah placated.  
  
"I think I should get back to my post but thanks anyway. Bye kid," he said as he walked down the steps.  
  
"All right, why don't you come inside and talk to us," Delilah said to the girl with a gentle smile.  
  
"I get to see the Leader?" the girl asked.  
  
"You sure do," Delilah answered as she ushered the girl in and closed the door behind them.  
  
-------------------  
  
Delilah showed the girl into the den and Micah stood up to greet them. "Hello, what is your name?" he asked her.  
  
"Mina," she said shyly.  
  
"Well, Mina, what has brought you to Hemingford?"  
  
Immediately Mina's eyes filled with tears. "It was so terrible! They killed Japheth!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Who killed Japheth? Why?" Micah asked with urgency. Japheth was one of the first to leave Hemingford for the Conversion and since the town was so close, they had kept in frequent contact. He had been sending in very good reports, everything was going quite smoothly.  
  
"The Outlanders killed him! They said they were freeing us! They burned the fields!" she answered with agitation as she twisted the hem of her dress in her dirty hands.  
  
"Outlanders? But how did you manage to escape?" he asked her as calmly as possible.  
  
"Japheth told us that if anything ever happened we should come here. I left when they tried to catch us."  
  
"And the others, what of them?"  
  
"The Outlanders killed Japheth's people when Japheth ordered them to kill them. Some of us were killed when they burned the fields. Others are still in hiding I think."  
  
Delilah had been silent during this time, her eyes closed in apparent communication with He Who Walks Behind the Rows. "Micah, we have been greatly betrayed," she said flatly.  
  
Micah turned to face her. "By whom?" he asked in confusion.  
  
"She has brought them from New York. She will help destroy us. We must be prepared," Delilah answered.  
  
"Lacey? But why?"  
  
"Revenge," she stated simply.  
  
Micah furrowed his brow in thought for a moment. "When will they come?"  
  
"Soon, though I know not exactly when," Delilah replied. "Micah, perhaps Mina would like to sleep?"  
  
Micah started a little at the sudden change of subject but nodded. "All right. Mina, would you like to rest? There is no more for you to do now."  
  
"Okay, I guess I'm tired," Mina agreed.  
  
"I'm sure Delilah will have something for you to sleep in."  
  
Delilah smiled at Mina and gestured for her to follow. "Come, I'll show you to a room and get you a change of clothes," she said to Mina, then turned to speak to Micah. "Danny and Jedediah should know about this."  
  
"Yes, I'll go and find them," he replied and left the house soon after Delilah and Mina disappeared up the stairs.  
  
-------------------  
  
Micah found Danny in front of the meeting hall, talking with a girl named Keren whom he was beginning to like. "Micah, what's wrong?" Danny asked when he saw his friend.  
  
"It is most important that we find Jedediah, Danny. There is much cause for alarm," Micah responded gravely.  
  
"Danny, what should I do?" Keren asked, her dark green eyes filling with fear.  
  
Danny turned to Micah for an answer. "Go home and stay there. Tell any children you see to stay in their homes as well, but to come to me if they see anything suspicious," Micah answered for him.  
  
"I'll do that. Be careful, Danny," said Keren and kissed his cheek.  
  
"I'll will, don't worry," Danny replied. Once she was out of sight he again asked Micah what was wrong.  
  
"Outlanders. They have killed Japheth and many of the followers in Littleton. They have burned their fields," Micah informed him bluntly.  
  
"But how? Why? When?" stammered Danny.  
  
"Lacey has brought them here for revenge. She will bring them to us."  
  
"Oh God. Micah, I'm so sorry."  
  
"Why? This is not your fault. You did not make her leave nor make her return," Micah reassured him.  
  
"What can we do now?"  
  
"All we can do is prepare. There is no question that they will come."  
  
"I saw Jedediah and Rachael by the church replanting some flowers. I'm sure they're still there," said Danny after a thinking for a minute.  
  
"Good, let's go to them."  
  
--------------------------  
  
Danny and Micah found Jedediah and Rachael just where they'd hoped to find them, by the church. "Jed!" Danny called.  
  
Both Jedediah and Rachael looked up and Rachael waved cheerfully. Her smile disappeared quickly when she saw the looks on both Micah and Danny's faces. "What happened?" she asked, standing up and brushing the dirt off her skirt.  
  
"Outlanders," Danny informed them. "They've killed Japheth and have almost destroyed Littleton."  
  
"Are they coming here?" Jedediah asked.  
  
"Yes, and Lacey is with them. Littleton was perhaps a warning that they would try to take Hemingford," Micah answered, a dark look in his eyes.  
  
"Why do they want to take Hemingford? What are they trying to do?" asked Jedediah, not even mentioning Lacey.  
  
"That is something that we know not. We can only assume that Lacey has convinced them that we are somehow trapped. The little girl, Mina, who came to us, told us that the Outlanders said they wished to 'free us.' If Lacey has told them that Hemingford is the seat of our power, then they will surely want to destroy it and us," mused Micah.  
  
"So what will we do?" Rachael asked.  
  
"As I told Danny, we must prepare. We must be alert at all times. Watch must be more diligent. I can only hope that He Who Walks Behind the Rows might warn us when they are near. Today though, I think I will call for a meeting in the Circle," Micah told them.  
  
"All right. We'll start to get the children together," Jedediah said, and he and Rachael departed.  
  
"I'm going to go get Keren. I'll meet you there," Danny said to Micah. Micah nodded and Danny left in the opposite direction of Jedediah and Rachael.  
  
Suddenly alone, Micah felt a chill and started a quick pace back to his own home to find Delilah. 


	2. Chapter Two: the Destruction of Littleto...

Title: Strange Days 2: Outlanders   
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: Takes place six months after the events of Strange Days. All is going well until Lacey returns, bringing with her some adults and all sorts of new problems. How will Micah deal with this? Will everyone survive intact?  
Disclaimer: Stephen King owns the original story; Micah, Danny, etc. and COTC 2 are owned by Paramount; Japheth and his friends, Theo and the other Outlanders, Delilah, Zephaniah, Mina, and Keren are owned by me, and Rachael and Meagan are based on real-life COTC superfans Rachael and Meagan.  
  
  
  
Part 2  
  
Two days earlier in Littleton:  
  
There was a strange feeling in the air, something just seemed very wrong. Japheth tossed and turned in his bed, he had been unable to sleep for the past few nights. All at once he heard a scream and it jolted him out of his bed. He barely had time to pull on his pants as he ran down the stairs and roughly yanked open the front door. At his feet lay Mason, one of his best friends and most trusted follower. Mason had been stabbed in the chest with his own serrated hunting knife. Japheth knelt down and touched his friend's cooling cheek and looked out into the dark night with a murderous glare in his ice blue eyes. "Japheth! Japheth!" a young voice called.  
  
"Who's there?" Japheth asked with suspicion.  
  
A little girl with dark brown hair and eyes came running out of the darkness towards him. "Mina? Who has done this to Mason?"  
  
Mina's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the broken body of her older brother. "Outlanders are coming! Mason was on watch and I wanted to say goodnight to him, but as I was walking towards him these old people came up to him. They said things to each other and then Mason began to run," she stopped to take a shaky breath. "I followed, but far away. Finally he stopped and when he turned around a big man stabbed him with the thing he dropped. He wanted to warn you!" she exclaimed and began to cry even harder.  
  
Japheth's heart dropped and he grabbed Mina's hand and pulled her into the house. The three boys he shared the house with had gotten up after hearing the commotion and were now standing in the foyer looking at Japheth and Mina with shock. He realized that he and Mina probably both looked a fright.   
  
"Japheth, what's happened?" asked Steven, who was tall and lanky with light brown hair and hazel-green eyes.  
  
"There are Outlanders coming. Mason is dead," Japheth replied dully.  
  
"Where are they?" Paul asked, his voice rising in horror.  
  
"I don't know. Mina, do you know where the big people are?" Japheth asked Mina, whom Steven had guided to the couch and was sitting curled up in the corner of it.  
  
"They went towards the fields after they killed Mason. They don't know where this house is, I don't think," Mina said with uncertainty.  
  
"Where is He Who Walks Behind the Rows?" Steven asked.  
  
"I don't know. I wish I had the power of the Leader, but you know I do not," Japheth said with resignation.  
  
"So then we must get to Hemingford," reasoned Zechariah, who up until this point had been silent.  
  
"There may not be enough time, Zech. We must deal with this by ourselves. The Outlanders must not be allowed to get to Hemingford," said Japheth with conviction.  
  
Suddenly a loud explosion rocked the home and a bright orange ball of fire seemed to engulf the center of the cornfield. This time it was Japheth who screamed and he turned to the three boys and growled, "Kill the Outlanders."   
  
They nodded and went to the closet to retrieve their weapons, then quickly left the home in search of more children to help with the hunt and the outlanders themselves. Japheth ran a hand through his sandy blond hair and turned to Mina, who was dozing in a fitful sleep. "Mina," he called, gently shaking her awake.  
  
"Japh? What?" she whispered.  
  
"Mina, you must listen to me. Things are happening that I may not be able to stop. If I should not survive...," his voice trailed off and he paused. "If I should not survive then you must get to Hemingford and warn the Leader and the children who live there. Can you do that for me?" he finished urgently.  
  
She nodded slowly.   
  
"No, Mina, you must say it! You must survive and warn the others! Think of your brother and of all the children here, they need you now!" he said frantically.  
  
"Ok, Japheth, I promise! I promise I will find Hemingford and tell the Leader what's happened here," Mina promised, her voice shaking and her eyes tearful.  
  
Japheth gathered the little girl into a hug and forced his own tears down. He knew this might be his last night on earth, and he thought of Hemingford and of who was there waiting for him.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Japheth had left Mina inside where he hoped she would be safe, but that is not where she stayed. She knew she needed to see what would happen for herself, so she followed him, keeping at a distance so that he would not see her and demand that she hide.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Once a few feet from the house, Japheth knew that he would have to go to the fields, which were quickly becoming an out-of-control inferno. He saw as he ran to them that many of the doors to the houses were open, and they all looked empty. The children had probably run to the fields to try and put out the fire, but he hoped that they had not tried to do that. He wondered where Steven, Paul, and Zechariah were, and he had a distinct sinking feeling about what might have happened to them. Then he saw a hulking figure in front of him. "Who's there?" he yelled.  
  
"Are you the leader of these children?" a deep voice asked.  
  
"Yes I am. I am Japheth, outlander. What have you done?" he snarled. He would not lie to these people to save his own hide. If this was his end, then the Lord had meant it to be so.  
  
"You children need to be stopped. What you do here is wrong," the man declared in a stern tone of voice.  
  
"Perhaps the fact that you are still alive is wrong. Maybe you were meant to perish," Japheth taunted.   
  
The man scowled and he seemed to grow very angry. Before he could say anything Japheth decided to run. If he ran into the burning fields, perhaps the outlander would chase him there and be caught in the flames. It was worth a try.   
  
Japheth took off in a fast sprint with the man close at his heels. When he reached the beginning of the rows he started to weave his way through the familiar path to Littleton's own sacred clearing. He saw other children hazily through the smoke and he hoped that they were going in the same direction as he was.  
  
He burst through the stalks and skidded to a halt. The cross and platform that had been on the far right of the circle were gone. He assumed that the outlanders had thrown them into the fire. He blinked away fresh tears when he saw Zechariah's body on the edge of the clearing, and he wondered morbidly if he would find Steven and Paul's bodies nearby.   
  
Japheth had no time to react when he was tackled to the ground by an outlander, but not the man he had seen before. This one was younger and not as heavy-set. They rolled onto the ground and Japheth punched him squarely in the jaw. The young man punched him back and produced a long knife from his belt. He tried to stab Japheth with it but Japheth managed to catch the blade between his hands and throw it so that it skittered across the dirt. He lunged at it and just managed to wrap his fingers around the handle, then triumphantly pinned the outlander to the ground.   
  
Japheth brought the blade down to finish him off, but as he did so he felt a white-hot pain slice through his chest. He looked down in shock and disbelief at the sickle that had gone clean through his back and out of his chest. He choked hard on his blood and fell off the outlander to the side, and crawled towards the edge of the clearing. With his dimming eyes he saw a familiar figure and weakly whispered her name.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Mina heard what sounded like her name as she reached the clearing all alone. Then she saw Japheth and tried hard not to cry out loud. She saw that the big people were standing in the clearing and she dropped to her knees and crawled to Japheth as cautiously as she could.   
  
When she got to him she saw that he was still alive and leaned over and whispered his name in his ear. He looked up at her and tried to smile bravely for her. "Mina, I told you to stay at home," he rasped.   
  
"I know, Japheth, but I had to see," she whispered.  
  
"Now you've seen, and now you must tell them," he said and tried to catch his breath. "Please, Mina, get out of here now. I'm all but gone and so is this town. Don't perish with it!" he said with obvious agitation.  
  
"But Japheth, what...," she started to say.  
  
"No, just go! Remember me...and Littleton," Japheth whispered, and then he was gone.  
  
Tears began to slide down Mina's cheeks and she lightly kissed the forehead of the young man who had been like an older brother to her. He was wearing his cornhusk cross and she took it from around his neck and placed it hurriedly in the pocket of her now-dirty dress. She noticed that the outlanders had not seen her but she stayed down as she made her way back into the smoky fields. Once she was sure it was safe to do so, she stood up and began to run. The sun was starting to rise, and somehow she knew just where she had to go. It would take a long time, but she would get there, and she would do it for Japheth and her brother.  
  
--------------------------  
  
"Thanks a lot, Theo" said the young man to the older man whom Japheth had been running from.  
  
"No problem, Kevin. I'm just glad that's over," Theo replied as he helped Kevin up. He wondered where that leader kid was and if he had definitely gotten him. That sickle through the back should have done the job, though.  
  
"It's not over yet. That one you killed isn't the real leader. That one is in Hemingford," said Lacey, coming up behind the two men.  
  
"Are you sure this is right, Lacey?" asked Kevin, looking around at the blaze that had consumed the corn and was spreading to the town.  
  
"Yes, of course it is. These kids are evil, don't forget it. No matter how innocent they seem, they're not," Lacey snapped.  
  
"Okay, okay, calm down," said an older woman named Margaret, who put her arm around Lacey. "Why don't we find a place to clean up and rest for a while. If this town Hemingford is even worse than it was here, we're going to need it. Why don't you and Meagan go to the car, okay? We'll find our other friends."  
  
Lacey rolled her eyes but nodded. She really didn't like getting stuck with this Meagan girl, who they had picked up a few states back. She looked like she could almost be a corn child herself. "All right, come on Meagan," she said to the girl who was staring awestruck at the flames as they leapt higher and higher in the distance. She grabbed Meagan's arm and pulled her out of the clearing.  
  
"Guess we're on our way to Hemingford," said Theo.  
  
--------------------------  
  
  
Present, Hemingford:  
  
All of the children were now gathered in the Sacred Clearing. They were waiting impatiently for their leader to arrive, because they had heard that something big, and possibly very bad, was happening. But just six months ago they had weathered a huge storm, and no one wanted to believe that yet again the relative peace and order of the town would be disturbed.  
  
The groups of children then grew quiet when the corn parted and out stepped Micah and Delilah, their faces grim and taut. Micah climbed the few steps onto a slightly raised platform and Delilah joined Jedediah, Rachael, and Danny where they stood off to the side.  
  
"Children, I called you all to this meeting because of something terrible that has happened. I will not delay in my telling of this to you, because all of our lives now depend on it. Littleton is no more. Japheth is dead, and so are many of his followers," Micah paused when he heard a sharp intake of breath and a choked sob. It was Tabitha, the girl who was carrying Japheth's child and who would have joined him in Littleton in less than a year. He nodded his head in sympathy and continued, "We have good reason to believe that Outlanders are on their way here, and that their intention is to destroy our town and us."  
  
"What will we do?" one of the children shouted from the crowd.  
  
"We must be ready. Three will now keep watch, and they must carry larger weapons. Watch will also go through the night. When we receive word that they are indeed coming, we must come to this clearing because we will be most safe here. Do not delay, drop anything you are doing and take nothing but weapons with you. You must be prepared to fight," Micah answered with confidence.  
  
He dismissed the children and ordered them back to their homes, except for three boys which he put on watch. Delilah, Jedediah, Rachael, Danny, and Keren came up to him when the last had gone. "Things will never be the same again, will they Micah?" Delilah asked with sadness.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Delilah, I'm afraid not," Micah answered, and the group fell silent. 


	3. Chapter Three: Prelude to a Fight

Title: Strange Days 2: Outlanders   
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: Takes place six months after the events of Strange Days. All is going well until Lacey returns, bringing with her some adults and all sorts of new problems. How will Micah deal with this? Will everyone survive intact?  
Disclaimer: Stephen King owns the original story; Micah, Danny, etc. and COTC 2 are owned by Paramount; Delilah, Samuel, and Keren are owned by me, and Rachael and Meagan are based on real-life COTC superfans Rachael and Meagan.  
  
  
Part 3  
  
Early in the evening, just after dinner, the children were heading to their homes for the night. It was then that Lacey snuck into town, having been able to convince the adults that she and Meagan wanted to just take a walk. Unfortunately, to her, that also meant having to take Meagan with her.  
  
"Exactly *where* are we going?" Meagan asked impatiently.  
  
"To town," Lacey snapped. "I have to find Danny."  
  
"Why do you want to find this guy? Isn't he 'the enemy?'" Meagan inquired sarcastically, making quotation marks with her fingers as she said 'the enemy.'  
  
"You don't know anything! Danny was brainwashed!" Lacey exclaimed heatedly.  
  
"Brainwashed?" repeated Meagan with one eyebrow hiked dubiously. "Okay, if you say so."  
  
"I do! Now be quiet! We have to go through the north woods so they won't see us," Lacey told her, then stalked away.  
  
Meagan just shook her head and rolled her eyes, then followed slowly after Lacey.  
  
--------------------------  
  
In town, Danny and Keren were walking down the nearly deserted street hand-in-hand.   
  
"Danny," Keren began quietly. "Do you think that we'll be all right?"  
  
Danny stopped and took both of Keren's hands in his. "I really don't know. All I do know is that I won't let them hurt you," he replied.  
  
"Oh, Danny, that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me! But I don't want you to get hurt trying to protect me."  
  
"I won't, don't worry about me," Danny tried to reassure her.  
  
They continued to walk in silence, unaware that Lacey was following in the shadows.  
  
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When they arrived at the small home that Keren shared with Tabitha, Danny slowly leaned down and Keren tilted her faintly freckled face towards his and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Danny lightly nibbled on her bottom lip and toyed with the loose strands of wavy red hair that framed her face. Then she pulled away and brushed the blond hair that had fallen across his face out of his eyes. "I should go inside, check on Tabitha," she whispered.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight," he replied.  
  
"Goodnight," she echoed, and kissed his cheek.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Danny was walking up the stairs to the back door of his home when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and his eyes darkened with anger when he saw that it was Lacey.   
  
"What are you doing here? What have you done?" he demanded angrily.  
  
"I went to New York, just like I said I would. And you want to know what I found? Five adults, maybe the only ones left," Lacey retorted.  
  
"And you brought them here? Why?"  
  
"Because of He Who Walks Behind the Rows. He destroyed us, Danny, can't you see that? I have to stop Him. I *need* to stop Him."  
  
"How? By bringing those Outlanders here?" asked Danny incredulously.  
  
"Please, Danny," Lacey started to plead, ignoring his question. "Please come with me now. We can leave for wherever you want. We don't even have to stay with the adults if you don't want."  
  
"Are you even listening to what you're saying? You're asking me to abandon my best friends and all of the people who count on me! You just can't be serious!" Danny nearly shouted, confusion and anger in his voice.  
  
"But I am! I still love you and you have to know that I forgive you for what happened all those months ago. We were always supposed to be together, I see that now. I just wish I could take it all back," Lacey confessed, her voice suddenly becoming quiet.  
  
Danny wasn't ready to let up just yet. "So this is what you do? You come back and lead those...*Outlanders*," he sputtered. "Those freakin' Outlanders back here and you take them to Littleton and they kill Japheth and all of those kids! Why?"   
  
"We just arrived there first and I saw that it was controlled by He Who and I wanted to show them what we were going after!" Lacey struggled to explain.  
  
"Lacey, that is the lamest excuse I have ever heard. We're done here. I'm not going with you and you won't be taking this town," Danny said with finality.   
  
"Yeah, well, we'll just see about that. That little bastard Micah's gonna be dead and so are you! See if I care!" Lacey shouted hysterically and began to run towards the woods.  
  
Danny was about to run after her when he realized what she had said. Micah would be dead. It was then that he remembered that she had no idea what kind of power Micah really held. Or Delilah for that matter. Boy was she going to be in for a surprise, because when Micah gets mad, his enemies always have a hard time surviving. Danny smiled a little bit, but that smile disappeared when it suddenly jolted him that if Lacey was here, then the Outlanders were close by too. He ran up the stairs into the house to find Micah and Delilah.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Meanwhile on the other side of town, Meagan had somehow managed to get separated from Lacey. Or maybe Lacey had deliberately lost her, who knows? At any rate, Meagan was now wandering the dusty streets with more than a little trepidation. After all, with psychotic kids just running loose, no one was really safe. She turned off the main road and began to walk towards a large barn. Maybe she could hide there for awhile.  
  
As it happened, someone else was already in this barn. Samuel was just hanging up some farm tools and getting ready to leave. Ever since 'the incident' six months ago, he had been trying to get in good again with Micah and the others. He had realized soon after the whole thing was over that he had been very stupid in trying to help Mordechai. Mordechai had been out of his mind! So far, Micah had seemed to forgive him, which he was very thankful about. That didn't mean he was about to slack off, though. He still had a little more than a year before he would be able to leave. He ran a hand through his shaggy caramel colored hair and sighed. That year just wouldn't end fast enough. Suddenly he heard a rustling and what sounded like footsteps nearing the barn. Was it the Outlanders? He crept cautiously towards the door, 2 x 4 in hand, and waited in the shadows.  
  
--------------------------  
  
As Meagan neared the door, a rather tall boy in dark pants and a blue button-up shirt jumped out at her, a 2 x 4 clutched in his hands like a baseball bat. She screamed and stumbled back, and the boy dropped the piece of wood to grip her upper arms and stop her from falling.   
  
"Woah, are you okay?" he asked with concern. Then he narrowed his eyebrows and looked her over. "Wait a minute, I don't think I've ever seen you before," he said with suspicion rising in his voice.   
  
Meagan bit her lip and frantically tried to think of something convincing to say. "I'm, uh...I'm...visiting...a little bit, maybe?" she stuttered and mentally smacked herself. 'Great, that was just great,' she thought. 'Totally believable.'  
  
The boy tried to stifle a laugh but was obviously having a hard time holding it in. When he finally sobered up he seemed to remember something and frowned deeply. "You're with the Outlanders, aren't you!" he accused her.  
  
"*With* the Outlanders, or just with the Outlanders?" Meagan asked, trying to buy some time.  
  
"Look, don't you realize what's going to happen?" he started to say. Then he shook his head. "It doesn't matter anyway. I have to take you to Micah. He'll have to be the one to deal with you."  
  
"What do you mean, 'deal with me?' I'm not going anywhere with you, you crazy corn guy!" she exclaimed and began to try to twist out of his grip.  
  
"Hey! Stop that! I gotta do this!" he almost pleaded with her.  
  
"No way!" Meagan retorted and kicked him in the shins.  
  
He yelped in pain and relaxed his grip on her arms. When he did so she was able to bring them up and she shoved him as hard as she could. He fell back, and when he did his head hit the 2 x 4 he had thrown to the ground just moments before. Meagan gaped in shock at his unconscious body.   
  
"Oh my God!" she cried and knelt down beside him. She sighed with relief when she saw that he was still breathing and then looked around to make sure that no one else was around.   
  
"Sorry guy, but I can't stay," she apologized and decided that the cornfield would probably be the safest place to hide for the time being. She made a run for it.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Back at Danny and Micah's house Danny was waiting impatiently for Micah and Delilah to make their grand entrance. Apparently they were at another house trying to settle a dispute as fast as possible. 'How can anyone fight at a time like this?' Danny thought.  
  
He heard the door open and two familiar voices reached him. 'Finally,' he thought. "Guys, you just missed something big!" he called to them.  
  
Micah and Delilah came into the den and sat on the couch. "What happened?" Micah asked with concern.  
  
"I just had the great honor of speaking with Lacey," Danny said derisively.  
  
"Lacey? She's here?" said Delilah with disbelief.  
  
"For just a minute. She was trying to convince me to leave with her. Said that she forgave me, or something like that."  
  
"And no adults were with her? Do you know where they are?" Micah asked with urgency.  
  
"I got the impression that Lacey snuck away from them or something. I think that they're near here, but not here yet," Danny explained.  
  
"Then we still have time. I suppose that there will be no sleep tonight for any of us, though," Micah said reluctantly.  
  
"I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway," Delilah admitted.  
  
Micah put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. "Perhaps we should go to the main barn and collect some weapons?" he suggested.  
  
"That sounds like a good idea," Danny agreed. "I'll go get Jedediah and Rachael and meet you and Delilah there, okay?"  
  
"Yes, that's fine," Micah said and the three left the house for their destinations.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
At Jedediah and Rachael's house Danny banged loudly on the door. He heard movement inside the house and smiled somewhat mischievously at a bleary-eyed Jedediah. "Did I wake you?" he teased.  
  
"Only totally," Jedediah answered with annoyance. "What's going on?"  
  
"Lacey," Danny said and watched as Jedediah came fully awake. He explained quickly what had happened and his conversation with Lacey.  
  
"So, what are we doing?" Jedediah asked and yelled for Rachael to come downstairs.   
  
"Well, right now we're going to meet Micah and Delilah at the barn to get some weapons. We're still not sure when they will come," replied Danny as Rachael entered the hallway.  
  
Jedediah filled Rachael in on what had happened and what they were doing and her eyes widened. "So, what are we waiting for? We have to go!"  
  
---------------------------------  
  
When Jedediah, Danny, and Rachael arrived at the barn, they saw that Micah and Delilah were sitting with a third person, who had his head down. When he looked up they saw it was Samuel. "What's going on?" Danny asked Micah.  
  
"Apparently Samuel had a run-in with an Outlander, but this one was a teenage girl," Micah explained.  
  
"Where is she now?" Jedediah asked Samuel.  
  
"I don't know. After she hit me I blacked out," Samuel said defensively. "She was stronger than she looked."  
  
"Hey, look at this," Rachael called to the others and they saw what looked like fresh footprints in the dirt. "Looks like she might have headed into the fields."  
  
"Well, that might take care of that," Danny said.  
  
"I don't think so," Delilah disagreed. "Apparently Father has other plans."  
  
"Then I guess I'll be seeing her again," said Samuel, and he sounded curiously cheerful about it. 


	4. Chapter Four: Let It Begin

itle: Strange Days 2: Outlanders   
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: Takes place six months after the events of Strange Days. All is going well until Lacey returns, bringing with her some adults and all sorts of new problems. How will Micah deal with this? Will everyone survive intact?  
Disclaimer: Stephen King owns the original story; Micah, Danny, etc. and COTC 2 are owned by Paramount; Theo and the other Outlanders, Delilah, Zephaniah, Mina, Jakob and Keren are owned by me, and Rachael and Meagan are based on real-life COTC superfans Rachael and Meagan.  
  
  
Part 4  
  
It had to have been about four in the morning when Danny was jolted awake by a sharp pain is his arm. He sat up and stretched, then looked around to get his bearings. He had fallen asleep on the couch with the others, even though they had all pledged to stay awake. He realized that his arm was lodged in between the back cushions and was being leaned on by Micah.   
  
"Micah...Micah," he whispered and tried to shake his friend awake. "Damn it, Micah, wake up!"  
  
Micah's eyes slowly came open and he looked at Danny with annoyance. "What?" he asked.  
  
"Well, for one, we all fell asleep. Two, you're leaning on my arm!"  
  
Micah grinned sheepishly and leaned forward. Danny pulled his arm free and rubbed it. "Gee, thanks. Now, what are we going to do?"  
  
"The lookouts obviously haven't come yet, so it seems that we are not in immediate danger as of this minute," but even as he said that he knew. They were coming.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Theo led the small group of adults on the main road towards the town. Lacey walked behind him next to Margaret, her gait slow and slightly unsure. She was beginning to have second thoughts. She shook her head and pushed those thoughts to the side. She just knew she was doing the right thing.  
  
"So, this is it?" Theo asked, turning his head slightly.  
  
"Yeah, this is Hemingford. It's bigger than Littleton, you know." Lacey replied.  
  
"It doesn't look so bad to me," commented Kevin.  
  
"Well, it is. It's way worse than Littleton. The leader of these kids has this thing and thinks he is way more powerful than just about anyone," Lacey retorted, lying just a little. She wasn't about to tell them that Micah actually *was* more powerful than a lot of people.  
  
"So we are dealing with kids who are not just psychotic, but under the sway of some delusional teenager? That's just great," Kevin said.  
  
"Don't worry about it. That's all he is, delusional," Margaret tried to reassure him.  
  
"Even so, we have to be ready," said Theo seriously.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Zephaniah was standing on the lookout platform with Jakob when he saw a small group in the distance coming towards them. "Look! That's gotta be them!" Zephaniah exclaimed to Jakob.  
  
"Then we'd better go and warn the others," said Jakob, jumping down from the platform. "You go to Micah's house and get them and I'll begin getting the other children to the clearing, okay?"  
  
Zephaniah nodded. "Okay, but hurry!" he yelled as he began to run as fast as he could towards the house.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Micah was about to say something more to Danny when there was a loud and frantic banging on the door. Jedediah jumped up to answer it and when he did Zephaniah practically ran over him to speak to Micah.   
  
"Micah!" Zephaniah panted with urgency. He took a few gulps of air and then started again. "Micah, they're coming. Five or six of them."  
  
"The Outlanders are here? What's going to happen?" asked Mina, who had joined the teenagers when she heard Zephaniah's loud banging.  
  
Delilah put her arm around the younger girl and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. "You'll be safe with us," she said.  
  
"Where's Jakob?" Micah asked.  
  
"He went to start the warning. Most of the children will be in the clearing when you get there," Zephaniah answered.  
  
Danny got up and began to go to the door. "I have to get Keren. I promised her I would protect her," he told the others.  
  
"And you will," Micah started. "But you must stay here with us. It is too dangerous to go out there alone."  
  
"Then how can it be safe for Keren? And with Lacey out there, she might be in a lot more danger. Micah, I have to go," Danny said resolutely.  
  
Micah sighed with resignation. "I understand," he said finally. He briefly looked out the window where he saw that some of the children were running towards the clearing with various weapons in hand. "You should hurry, then. Find her...but be careful."  
  
"I will," Danny replied, and then he was out the door and gone.   
  
"We must go now," Delilah said quietly. "There isn't much time. They know this house."  
  
"Come on then, enough talking!" Rachael exclaimed, her voice slightly raised.   
  
"Rach, we'll be okay," Jedediah soothed.  
  
"No, she's right. We must get there as quickly as possible," Micah said and started towards the door.   
  
The rest of the small group followed him.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Danny was jogging through the streets when he finally saw Keren going in the direction of the field. "Keren!" he called.  
  
She turned around and smiled with relief when their eyes met. She ran over to him and hugged him fiercely. "Danny, why aren't you with Micah?" she asked.  
  
"I had to find you. I couldn't just let you be out here alone," he told her. Then he realized that Tabitha was nowhere to be seen. "Tabitha didn't stay with you?"  
  
"No, Jakob offered to look after her being that she's pregnant and still pretty distraught about Japheth."  
  
"Oh, that was a very good idea. Jakob's a good fighter. She'll be safe with him," Danny said and squeezed her hand. It was then that he saw some figures moving closer. He couldn't tell whether or not they were children. "I think we need to move."  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Lacey noticed that the town seemed curiously empty. Doors were open and all the houses looked positively abandoned. Where was everyone?  
  
"Where is everyone?" Theo said, vocalizing her thoughts.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe they knew we were coming," she said, not telling them that it was probably her fault that they had known Outlanders were in the area.  
  
"But just look at this place for a minute," Margaret said, a small amount of wonder in her voice. "Are you sure that *children* live here?"  
  
The outlanders stopped for a minute to take in the look of the town. The stores and restaurants where obviously deserted, and looked like they had been stripped of what was important and then locked up. But the sidewalks looked meticulous and it seemed as if someone had been careful in caring for the flowers and trees that lined the streets. To take a quick peek down the side streets you would see those strangely abandoned homes, but their lawns were weeded and groomed and lovely. The town hall was freshly painted and a sign near the door listed the times of something called 'His Court.' In the distance loomed the church, but even from their place they could tell it was well cared-for. Even the bell in the bell tower was gleaming in the early morning sun.   
  
"Yeah, it sure doesn't look like children live here. Why would *children* care for a place in such a nice way?" asked Theo.  
  
"Because, don't you see, they're not regular children. Keeping this town as nice and clean as it always was, is one of the things *he* requires of them," Lacey struggled to explain.  
  
"But why?" Margaret asked.  
  
"I don't really know. It was just one of those things," answered Lacey in an exasperated tone of voice. "Now shouldn't we be going to the main house? I mean, I bet they've already left it by now, though."  
  
"We'll go anyway just in case," Theo said.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
When they got to the main house, the adults didn't hide their shock. The house Micah, Delilah, and Danny lived in was an impressive structure, to be sure. It was large and white and Victorian, with a flower-lined walkway leading up to wide, stone steps and a pair of massive glass-paned doors in front. Theo and Kevin walked up the steps with a little bit of trepidation. Kevin grabbed the doorknob and twisted it experimentally. It was locked. The two men looked at each and Theo shrugged, then took a baseball bat from one of the others and smashed in the delicate flower pattern on the glass. "No problem," he said with a smile.  
  
Kevin reached his arm in and unlocked the door, and the group filed in one by one. They stood in the main hallway and listened intently for the sound of voices or movement. It was eerily quiet. "There's no one here," Kevin said with disappointment.  
  
"No, I had a feeling there wouldn't be. Why don't we split up?" Theo suggested. "Margaret and I will stay here and see if we can find any clues to where everyone might have gone."  
  
The adults agreed and left the home in separate directions, careful to step around the shattered glass that littered the doorway.   
  
---------------------------------  
  
Once Micah and the others has reached the Sacred Clearing they were almost immediately bombarded by questions. Micah saw that Danny and Keren had made it there safely and smiled warmly at them.  
  
"Brothers and sisters, please remain calm. Yes, there is of course cause for alarm, but we cannot panic," Micah said, and he was aware that he was almost pleading with them. "The older ones among us must spread out around the circle to stop the Outlanders from desecrating it. The young ones must stay close to the middle for the utmost safety."  
  
The children began to speak among themselves and the teenagers started to move out of the clearing and into the fields surrounding it. Micah and Delilah stayed near the very edge, because they were aware that even though everyone was protecting the clearing and the young ones as much as they could, some of the Outlanders would still get through.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Meanwhile, Theo and Margaret were going through the house piece by piece, virtually tearing it apart. They looked through record books and anything else that looked like it could hold some information.   
  
"Look at these things, Marge, they have records of everything. I just don't get *this*," Theo said, pointing to the word 'Mission' written beside some of the names.  
  
Margaret looked at the records for a moment and her eyes widened. "Japheth...wasn't that the leader in that other town? Oh, Theo, do you think these kids are spreading all over?"   
  
Theo sneered openly. "Like the fucking plague."  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Jedediah and Rachael were standing off to one side keeping as much of a watch as they could through the thick corn stalks. Suddenly Jedediah caught some movement off to the side. "Rachael, run," he whispered.  
  
"What? I'm not leaving you!" she exclaimed quietly.  
  
"Don't worry about me, just go," he ordered gently.  
  
Tears misted in Rachael's eyes and she pressed a kiss to Jedediah's lips. Then she ran.  
  
Jedediah took out a machete and shifted it from hand to hand, waiting nervously. Then he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder blade, and everything went black. 


	5. Chapter Five: Descending Darkness

Title: Strange Days 2: Outlanders   
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: Takes place six months after the events of Strange Days. All is going well until Lacey returns, bringing with her some adults and all sorts of new problems. How will Micah deal with this? Will everyone survive intact?  
Disclaimer: Stephen King owns the original story; Micah, Danny, etc. and COTC 2 are owned by Paramount; Theo and the other Outlanders, Delilah, Samuel, and Keren are owned by me, and Rachael and Meagan are based on real-life COTC superfans Rachael and Meagan.  
A/N: Although I have rated this story PG-13 overall, this chapter probably deserves an R rating for violence and gore. Lots of blood here, people! You've been warned!  
  
  
Part 5  
  
Samuel had been standing just a short distance from Jedediah and Rachael when he heard the rustling and a loud thump. He had a strange feeling that something could be very wrong and he took off in their direction.   
  
When he got to where he had last seen them, at first he didn't see anything at all. Then he saw one of the Outlanders standing over a slumped form and knew in that moment that it was Jedediah. Without even giving it a second thought he launched himself at the man, who hadn't been prepared for any kind of counter-attack. He lost his balance and the two tumbled to the ground. Samuel managed to land one good punch before the older and stronger man gained the upper hand. He grabbed his knife and began to lower it towards Samuel's chest when once again he was attacked from behind.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Meagan had been hiding in the cornfield for God-knows-how-long. All she knew was that the strange winds and whispers were beginning to get to her. There was definitely *something* out there, and she wasn't sure whether it was a good something at all. Just as she was about to try to run for the main road she saw a glimpse of that boy who has discovered her in the barn. He seemed to be running towards something with determination. Against her better judgment, she decided to follow him but in the next row over. Then she saw exactly what he was running towards.  
  
Kevin was standing over one of the boys with a knife covered in blood gripped in his hand. The boy was laying face down and she couldn't see if he was still breathing. To her surprise, she felt horror and rage over what Kevin had done. He had stabbed that boy in the back, without giving him a chance to defend himself! Before she could shout Kevin's name, the boy from the barn had tackled him to the ground and they began to fight. It wasn't long, however, before Kevin had been able to grab his knife and pin the boy to the ground.   
  
Before she knew what she was doing, Meagan had run out of the row she was hiding in and gave Kevin a hard shove from the side. This was enough to knock him completely off balance and he fell hard onto the rough ground. He was unconscious.   
  
Meagan held out a hand to the boy and he blinked and stared at her for a moment before taking it gratefully. Unfortunately he was a little too heavy for her and when she began to pull him up she lost her balance and fell directly on top of him. "Oops," she said, blushing.  
  
"That's okay," he said, a small smile on his face. "I'm Samuel by the way. You can call me Sam."  
  
"Um, I'm Meagan...," she replied, trailing off. Then she realized she was still on top of him. "Oh, oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, scrambling to stand up.  
  
Samuel stood up too, then rushed over to Jedediah's seemingly lifeless body. "Is he gone?" Meagan asked.  
  
Samuel looked up at her with relief written on his face. "No, he's still breathing. Barely, but he's still with us."  
  
"What are we going to do?"   
  
"I...," Samuel started, then quieted suddenly when a scream echoed through the fields. It had to be Micah.  
  
Meagan's eyes widened in fright. "What was that?" she asked and then she saw the sky.  
  
Clouds, dark and ominous, were rolling across it. They seemed to be laced with electrical currents, and rumbling thunder clapped harder and harder. The clear blue afternoon sky itself was turning a sinister shade of purple. Those terrible and mysterious winds were now howling and the corn stalks were shaking its clutches. "What's happening?" Meagan yelled.  
  
Samuel turned to look at her slowly. "We have to get Jedediah to the clearing. We'll be safe there."   
  
Meagan nodded and the two of them struggled to lift Jedediah's body. With one of his arms draped over each of their shoulders, they began the short but difficult walk to what was the center of the storm.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
~~10 Minutes Earlier~~  
  
As Samuel had been rescuing Jedediah from Kevin, the other Outlanders had begun to arrive in the fields, almost as if some otherworldly force pulled them there. Theo and Margaret had heard a strange whispering in their heads, telling them that the children were in the clearing. Oddly enough, they seemed to know exactly where that was.  
  
Micah and Delilah knew what He Who Walks Behind the Rows was doing. They knew that He was luring the outlanders into the fields so that they would not be able to escape. So they waited for them to come and sure enough, they did. The obviously less important ones arrived at first, stopping at the edge of the clearing with terror in their eyes, as if they could not move. Then the two who Micah somehow knew were the leaders appeared. The man was large and burly, and looked as if he thought he was unstoppable. The woman appeared less sure, but her face was brave and held confidence for the man and herself. "So this is it," he heard himself say.  
  
The man smiled condescendingly. "You know, son, it doesn't have to end badly. Just let all these kids go and me and Margaret will be on our way with our people. You'll never even see us again."  
  
Micah returned the man's smile, but his was cold and dark. "I don't think they want to go, sir. You should not have come here. The only way it can end is badly. For you, anyway," he growled.  
  
Margaret, the woman, shrank back from the look on Micah's face. "Look, we don't want anyone needlessly hurt. All we want is for the children to be freed," she whispered timidly.  
  
"You don't want anyone to be hurt? What about the children of Littleton?" asked Delilah in disbelief.   
  
"That ended wrong. Please, just let us do this peacefully," Margaret pleaded.  
  
"This can never end peacefully," said a voice from the side and out stepped Lacey, armed with a bow and arrow. "I've been waiting to use this a long time."  
  
Before anyway could stop her, she raised the bow and with trained precision shot a single arrow directly into Delilah's chest and pierced her heart. Delilah's eyes widened and she fell to her knees, the blood bubbling out of her mouth and running down the front of her dress. Then she coughed and fell forward, catching herself before she hit the ground and choking violently as she struggled to stay on her hands and knees. Finally she lowered herself to the ground and rolled over onto her back, closing her eyes. To almost everyone in the clearing it seemed that she was dead.   
  
Even knowing what he knew, Micah could not contain himself upon seeing Delilah in such obvious agony. He screamed her name so loud that it echoed through the fields and froze everyone in their places. He knelt down beside her body and placed a hand to her cheek. She was warm but deceptively motionless. Rage filled his body and he felt a darkness like he had never known before descend over him. Every molecule in his body seemed to become fused with He Who Walks Behind the Rows, and an enormous power started to overtake him. And with this came the darkness, the thunder and lightening and the sharp and strong winds. The children held onto each other in fear and crouched low to the ground for safety. Danny, Keren, and Rachael stood near Micah and Delilah where it was the safest for them. But Rachael was still keeping an eye to the edges of the clearing for any sign of Jedediah.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
~~Present~~  
  
When he finally looked up it was as if Micah was no longer in control. His eyes had gone completely black and his skin had taken on an even whiter pallor. He zeroed in on Lacey and she began to look around wildly as if searching for a way out. "Boom," he whispered and in the blink of an eye Lacey was no more. Her body exploded in every direction and splattered the corn and everyone not able to get away quick enough. A soft, slightly crazed smile touched Micah's lips as he stood to face the other outlanders.  
  
"So, are you still an unbeliever?" he asked Theo, who himself had paled considerably. Micah's voice had turned deep and demonic, but it held a sarcastic and flippant edge.  
  
"What...what are you?" Theo asked Micah.  
  
He Who Walks Behind the Rows wearing Micah's face smiled. "I suppose that I am your worst nightmare, infidel," he answered.  
  
"Please, just let us go," Margaret sobbed and the other outlanders began to voice similar pleas.  
  
"Silence! Who said that you were allowed to speak?" He Who said, and instantly the adults found themselves unable to speak. "Now...Theo, was it? What makes you think that you should be allowed to live?"  
  
"We meant no harm, honestly. We only wanted to help the children," Theo answered, his voice beginning to shake.  
  
"You came here under false impressions, then. The children need not your help," He Who began. " I might have been prepared to let you leave, but you went right ahead and killed Japheth, a most important follower of mine. For this I have no choice but to destroy you."  
  
Theo made a little choking sound and turned away from the god, only to be turned right back around by some unseen force. "Do not turn your back on me, Outlander! Your time has come, accept this with grace!"  
  
Theo's face twisted in agony and blood began to pour out of his mouth, eyes, ears, and nose. He fell face first with a thump and was impaled on a stalk that had shot out of the ground. The blood spurted with urgency out of his back like a fountain and soon he lay still, blood pooling around his body.  
  
Margaret sobbed in horror but did not have a chance to do anything more. The ground under her started to liquefy like quicksand and vines reached out of it and wrapped around her legs, arms, and torso. Her terrified screams quickly turned to gurgles as she was pulled into the earth. When her head disappeared under the murk, it solidified again with no hint as to what had happened moments before.   
  
The other outlanders were frightened but could not make their bodies move. He Who turned around to face them and one by one their heads exploded with pinpoint accuracy. Then a long crack in the ground opened and the headless bodies were sucked in, joining Margaret in the dark below.  
  
Then all was quiet. The wind slowly died down, the sky lightened, and the clouds rolled back. The sun shone down upon a ruined scene. Micah was standing in the middle of all of this, his body taut and shaking. No one wanted to touch him, everyone was still too afraid after what they had just witnessed. Even Danny and Rachael were unsure as to who was standing there, Micah or He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Just then Samuel and Meagan walked tiredly into the clearing.   
  
Rachael saw them first. "Jedediah!" she exclaimed and ran to them as they lowered him onto the ground.  
  
"He's alive," Samuel said quietly.  
  
"What about her? She was with *them*," Rachael said accusingly.  
  
"Her name is Meagan, and she saved me. She's not one of them, Rachael," Samuel tried to explain gently.  
  
"How can you be sure?" Danny asked.  
  
"Look, I know this sounds crazy, but something in that field told me that Sam needed my help. I got the feeling that I was being protected in some way," Meagan interjected.  
  
"That doesn't sound too crazy," Danny allowed. "The last word, though, will come from Micah."  
  
"What about Jedediah? Will he live?" Rachael asked tearfully as she knelt next to his unconscious form and lightly brushed her hand across his forehead and kissed his temple.  
  
Danny just shook his head and turned to Micah, who was still as unmoving as a statue, and Delilah, who looked to be in a peaceful slumber. "They'll know." 


	6. Chapter Six: Something Most Unexpected

Title: Strange Days 2: Outlanders   
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: Takes place six months after the events of Strange Days. All is going well until Lacey returns, bringing with her some adults and all sorts of new problems. How will Micah deal with this? Will everyone survive intact?  
Disclaimer: Stephen King owns the original story; Micah, Danny, etc. and COTC 2 are owned by Paramount; Delilah, Samuel, and Keren are owned by me, and Rachael and Meagan are based on real-life COTC superfans Rachael and Meagan.  
  
  
Part 6  
  
Micah slowly came awake, and felt as if every cell in his body was on fire. Everything ached so badly and everything was a haze. What had just happened? One minute he was crouched next to Delilah who had been shot by Lacey, and now he was standing in the middle of the eerily peaceful clearing.  
  
Suddenly his eyes came fully open as he remembered exactly what had transpired. He Who Walks Behind the Rows had taken him whole and had used his body to destroy the Outlanders. Even now he could still feel that darkness just below the surface. He shivered and then he heard a voice calling his name. It was Danny. "Danny?" he said quietly.  
  
"Micah, is it you? Are you all right?" Danny asked and Micah heard the uncertainty in his good friend's voice.  
  
"It's me...I'll be all right," Micah answered.  
  
Danny breathed an audible sigh of relief and helped him to sit on the rough ground. Micah looked into Delilah's peaceful looking face and smiled sadly.   
  
"Is she...," Danny began to ask and his voice trailed off.  
  
"Of course not," Micah said as confidently as possible. He gently kissed her forehead and murmured to her, "Come on baby, wake up. It's over."  
  
At first there was no response. Then, just as Micah was about to try more forcefully to wake her, her eyes snapped open and she took a gasping breath. "Micah?" she whispered faintly.  
  
He helped her sit up and rubbed small circles on her back as she coughed up the last of the blood that had filled her lungs.   
  
"Damn, look at my dress!" she exclaimed weakly and everyone laughed.  
  
"I'll make you a new one," Keren offered with a smile.  
  
"Thanks," Delilah replied.  
  
Then Micah noticed Rachael kneeling on the ground with Jedediah's head on her lap. Barely dried tear streaks were visible on her face. He left Delilah's side and knelt next to Rachael and put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with fearful eyes. "Micah, will he...?" she started to ask but couldn't bring herself to finish the question.  
  
Micah just shook his head and put his hands, one over the other, over where the knife had come out of the front of his shoulder. The group watched in amazement as the blood slowly receded and the wound knit itself together. Then Jedediah slowly opened his eyes, the color even coming back to his cheeks. "What happened?" he asked in confusion.  
  
"You...you were almost dead! Oh god, Jed, don't ever do that to me again!" Rachael exclaimed as she leaned over and hugged him fiercely.  
  
"Micah, how did you do that?" Danny asked in shock.  
  
"He apparently has effected me more than I thought," Micah answered thoughtfully. He wasn't very sure himself.  
  
"Well, um, why don't we go back to the house?" Danny suggested as Micah went back to Delilah and her to stand, putting his arm around her waist to support her.  
  
"Um, Micah...this is Meagan," Samuel began and Meagan gave a small wave. "Uh, is she..."  
  
Micah closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them he smiled and nodded. "She is one of us. He has decreed that she may stay."  
  
Samuel let out a sigh of relief and hugged Meagan. "See, I told you!"   
  
Meagan furrowed her eyebrows. "You never told me anything! I was the one who said everything would be all right!" she retorted.  
  
"Okay, whatever you say," he replied.  
  
"I do, thank-you-very-much," Meagan said sweetly. Then she frowned. "Um, where am I going to live?"  
  
"You can live with Tabitha and me. With the baby coming we could use an extra pair of hands around the house," Keren offered.  
  
"Okay, that sounds good to me," Meagan agreed brightly.  
  
"Now can we go to the house?" Rachael asked. "I'm not feeling that great."  
  
"Oh, Rach, what's wrong?" Jedediah asked with concern as the couple stood and joined their friends.  
  
"Nothing much, I just feel a little queasy. Must just be all of the excitement. I'll be fine," she reassured him.  
  
"Okay, if you're sure," Jedediah replied.  
  
Micah turned back to where the other children where still standing, waiting to see what the Leader and Seer would do.   
  
"Children, you may now return to your homes. We are now safe, and may get back to our mission and our peaceful lives," he announced.  
  
The children's faces lit up with smiles and a happy murmur swept through the small crowds. They began to depart and soon the Sacred Clearing was empty except for Micah, Delilah, Jedediah, Rachael, Danny, Keren, Samuel, and Meagan.   
  
"Well, we'll be going. I'll show Meagan the house she's going to live in," Samuel said and took Meagan's hand to lead her out of the field.  
  
"Do you think she'll join him when he leaves?" Delilah whispered conspiratorially to Rachael, a sly smile on her face.  
  
"I would be surprised if she didn't," Rachael whispered back.  
  
"You girls are terrible," Jedediah said with exasperation.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Just a few feet away from this scene, Kevin was beginning to wake up. 'What the hell happened?' he thought in confusion.  
  
He sat up and rubbed the back of his head. 'Damn kids...well, I bet Theo and the others got 'em by now anyway,' he thought smugly and smiled to himself.  
  
He stood up and steadied himself on a sturdy cornstalk and felt his knees gives out slightly. He righted himself and studied his surroundings. Just a cornfield. But which way to go? Deciding that right had to be the only way to go, he began to make his way through the dense field. A slight breeze wafted around him and he shivered. The sooner he could get out of this creepy place the better.   
  
It turned out that he would *never* be getting out. For as soon as he took that first step the earth swallowed him up. The corn was now fully sated.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Back at Micah, Delilah, and Danny's house, they were surveying the damage with care. Besides the broken glass on the door, which they probably wouldn't be able to repair, many of their records were lying scattered on the floor in the meeting room and every drawer had been pulled out and turned upside down, their contents littering the floor.   
  
Delilah sighed. "Why did they have to do this?" she asked.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll all help clean it up," Rachael offered.  
  
"Thanks, Rach. How are you feeling?" Delilah replied.  
  
"Um, all right. Still not great. Why?" asked Rachael.  
  
"Because...why don't you come with me?" Delilah said and pulled her into the kitchen.  
  
Moments later the rest of the group heard a squeal and rushed into the kitchen to see what was wrong. Rachael and Delilah were hugging and laughing.  
  
"What's going on?" Micah asked.  
  
"Jed, you're gonna be a daddy!" Rachael exclaimed and threw her arms around her stunned husband.  
  
"How...how do you know?" he stuttered in shock.  
  
"Well Delilah *is* the Seer, silly!" replied Rachael, still giddy from the news of her pregnancy.  
  
"Your baby is going to be very important to us, Jed. Father has chosen it for a very special purpose," Delilah said with a smile.  
  
"What purpose?" Rachael asked with some apprehension. She'd just found out she was pregnant and all ready the baby was being taken from her.  
  
"Don't worry, Rach, Father doesn't want to take your baby. It will still be your child. I don't know what the purpose is yet, though. I'm sorry," Delilah admitted.  
  
Rachael smiled and hugged her friends. "That's okay, I'm already nervous about being a mother."  
  
"You'll be great," Jedediah assured her and earned a kiss for his words.  
  
"Nine months...how will you wait that long?" Micah asked them.  
  
Jedediah shrugged. "All we know it that it's going to be the start of something big."  
  
"Something that will change all of our lives," Delilah agreed.  
  
And somewhere, He Who Walks Behind the Rows smiled. He was pleased. Everything was moving along quite nicely.  
  
  
  
~~The End~~ 


End file.
